Three Steps to Better Sleep
Modern life is undeniably stressful - it's hard to juggle work and family, phones never stop ringing, the roads are jammed with traffic.
When you finally do get home to the family after a hard day at work you are stressed, you are tired and you are hungry.
No surprise that most of us rely on micro waved ready meals rather than something healthier.
After this dinner - of sorts - there are household chores to take care of, the kids need putting to bed, and thanks to email and your Blackberry there is probably still office work to be done.
With no real opportunity to wind down in the evening it is not surprising that by the time you make it to bed your head is still whirring and you find yourself completely unable to sleep.
In fact the only time you can sleep is just before the alarm clock goes off and you have to get up to do it all again.
As a result you're tired at work again that day, tired when you get home and the whole vicious circle repeats itself again and again.
However, help is at hand! As with many things in life, if you follow three simple rules everything will work out in the end.
In order to guarantee more sleep, and better quality sleep, the three rules are as follows 1) Just before you go to bed, take out a pen and paper and write down everything that comes into your head.
Past events, tomorrow's potential problems, shopping lists for the weekend, worrying about forgetting someone's birthday...
whatever it is, just write it down, it will free some brain space making it much easier for you to relax.
2) Ditch your old shrill alarm clock for one that wakes you up gradually by playing music - preferably something serene and classical.
The trick is to set the alarm to go off around quarter of an hour earlier than is your habit.
As it turns on very quietly you will not be jolted awake but will slowly drift into consciousness.
3) Improve the quality of your diet.
This can be something quite simple rather than a total overhaul - snacking on fruit or raw vegetables throughout the day is good for you and will stop you feeling hungry.
This should also improve your energy levels so that at least sometimes you can prepare fresh food in the evenings.
This task, if carried out in the right frame of mind, can be enjoyable and therapeutic rather than just another chore.
When you finally do get home to the family after a hard day at work you are stressed, you are tired and you are hungry.
No surprise that most of us rely on micro waved ready meals rather than something healthier.
After this dinner - of sorts - there are household chores to take care of, the kids need putting to bed, and thanks to email and your Blackberry there is probably still office work to be done.
With no real opportunity to wind down in the evening it is not surprising that by the time you make it to bed your head is still whirring and you find yourself completely unable to sleep.
In fact the only time you can sleep is just before the alarm clock goes off and you have to get up to do it all again.
As a result you're tired at work again that day, tired when you get home and the whole vicious circle repeats itself again and again.
However, help is at hand! As with many things in life, if you follow three simple rules everything will work out in the end.
In order to guarantee more sleep, and better quality sleep, the three rules are as follows 1) Just before you go to bed, take out a pen and paper and write down everything that comes into your head.
Past events, tomorrow's potential problems, shopping lists for the weekend, worrying about forgetting someone's birthday...
whatever it is, just write it down, it will free some brain space making it much easier for you to relax.
2) Ditch your old shrill alarm clock for one that wakes you up gradually by playing music - preferably something serene and classical.
The trick is to set the alarm to go off around quarter of an hour earlier than is your habit.
As it turns on very quietly you will not be jolted awake but will slowly drift into consciousness.
3) Improve the quality of your diet.
This can be something quite simple rather than a total overhaul - snacking on fruit or raw vegetables throughout the day is good for you and will stop you feeling hungry.
This should also improve your energy levels so that at least sometimes you can prepare fresh food in the evenings.
This task, if carried out in the right frame of mind, can be enjoyable and therapeutic rather than just another chore.
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